System and method for accurately sensing user location in an IoT system

• US 10,798,523 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2018
• Issued: 10/06/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afero, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Afero, Inc.
• Inventors: Zakaria, Omar
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Madani, Farideh
• Application Number:
  US16/056,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20190075424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system and method are described for accurately detecting a location of a wireless device. For example, one embodiment of a method comprises: collecting signal strength data indicating signal strength between a wireless device and a plurality of IoT devices and/or IoT hubs in a user'"'"'s home; associating the signal strength data with locations in the user'"'"'s home and storing the association in a location database; and determining a current location of the wireless device by comparing the signal strength data in the database with current signal strength data indicating current signal strength between the wireless device and the plurality of IoT devices and/or IoT hubs.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of Internet of Things (IoT) devices located at different locations within a user'"'"'s home or business;

a first IoT device located at a first location within the user'"'"'s home or business;

a system calibration module to automatically collect a first set of signal strength data indicating signal strengths between a wireless device of a user and the plurality of IoT devices responsive to a physical interaction between the user and the first IoT device, the system calibration module further to associate the first set of signal strength data with the first location; and

a location database to store the first set of signal strength data and the association with the first location in a location record;

wherein responsive to detecting a second physical interaction between the user and the first IoT device at a second location within the user'"'"'s home or business, the system calibration module is further to;

collect a second set of signal strength data indicating signal strengths between the user'"'"'s wireless device and the plurality of IoT devices and associate the second set of signal strength data with the second location;

query the user through an application on the user'"'"'s wireless device to confirm the second physical interaction at the second location; and

update the location record in the location database with the second set of signal strength data and the association with the second location responsive to receiving a confirmation from the user indicating that the first IoT device has been moved from the first location to the second location.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein the first IoT device comprises, or is coupled to, an appliance, a lighting system, an audiovisual equipment, or a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment.

3. The system as in claim 2, wherein the first IoT device comprises a refrigerator and the physical interaction comprises the user opening or closing a door of the refrigerator.

4. The system as in claim 2, wherein the first IoT device comprises a lighting system and the physical interaction comprises the user adjusting one or more lights in the lighting system.

5. The system as in claim 1, wherein a global positioning system (GPS) of the wireless device is to provide GPS data associated with the first location.

6. The system as in claim 5, wherein the location record further stores the GPS data associated with the first location.

7. The system as in claim 6, wherein the first set of signal strength data comprises received signal strength indicator (RSSI) values between the wireless device and the plurality of IoT devices measured from the first location.

8. The system as in claim 1, further comprising:

a signal strength analysis module to determine a current location of the wireless device by comparing stored signal strength data in the location database with current signal strength data indicating current signal strength between the wireless device and one or more of the plurality of IoT devices measured from the current location.

9. The system as in claim 8, further comprising:

an IoT hub on which the system calibration module and the signal strength analysis module are executed.

10. The system as in claim 8, wherein the signal strength analysis module is to receive a current set of signal strength values and compare those values with the stored signal strength data in the location database to determine the current location of the wireless device.

11. The system as in claim 10, wherein the signal strength analysis module is to determine that the wireless device is near the first location if the current signal strength values are within a specified range of the first set of signal strength data in the location database associated with the first location.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the signal strength analysis module is to dynamically adjust the specified range when two or more signal strength data in the first set of signal strength data are close in value.

13. A method comprising:

collecting a first set of signal strength data indicating signal strengths between a user'"'"'s wireless device and a plurality of Internet of Things (IoT) devices located at different locations within a user'"'"'s home or business responsive to a first physical interaction between a user and a first IoT device, the first IoT device located at a first location within the user'"'"'s home or business;

associating the first set of signal strength data with the first location;

storing collected signal strength data and the association with the first location in a location database as a location record;

detecting a second physical interaction between the user and the first IoT device at a second location within the user'"'"'s home or business and responsively collecting a second set of signal strength data indicating signal strengths between the user'"'"'s wireless device and the plurality of IoT devices and associating the second set of signal strength data with the second location;

querying the user through an application on the user'"'"'s wireless device to confirm the second physical interaction at the second location; and

updating the location record in the location database with the second set of signal strength data and the association with the second location responsive to receiving a confirmation from the user indicating that the first IoT device has been moved from the first location to the second location.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein the first IoT device comprises, or is coupled to, an appliance, a lighting system, an audiovisual equipment, or a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment.

15. The method as in claim 13, wherein the first IoT device comprises a refrigerator and the physical interaction comprises the user opening or closing a door of the refrigerator.

16. The method as in claim 13, wherein the first IoT device comprises a lighting system and the physical interaction comprises the user adjusting one or more lights in the lighting system.

17. The method as in claim 13, further comprising:

providing, by a global positioning system (GPS) of the wireless device, GPS data associated with the first location.

18. The method as in claim 17, further comprising:

storing, in the location record, the GPS data associated with the first location.

19. The method as in claim 18, wherein the first set of signal strength data comprises signal strength indicator (RSSI) values between the wireless device and the plurality of IoT devices at measured from the first location.

20. The method as in claim 13, further comprising:

determining a current location of the wireless device within the home or business by comparing stored signal strength data in the location database with current signal strength data indicating current signal strength between the wireless device and the plurality of IoT devices measured from the current location.

21. The method as in claim 20, further comprising:

comparing a current set of signal strength values in the current signal strength data with the stored signal strength data in the location database to determine the current location of the wireless device.

22. The method as in claim 21, further comprising determining that the wireless device is in a particular location if the current set of signal strength values are within a specified range of a particular set of signal strength data stored in the location database.